Twitter and WhatsApp are just the start as new Windows Phone 8 apps loom

Windows Phone 8 users should rejoice as evidently the newly updated WhatsApp and Twitter apps are just the beginning. Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore took to Twitter to react to the mostly positive news by teasing he has a “few more apps on my #WP8 phone that aren’t in the Store”.

Microsoft in the past has had headline grabbing “app pushes” where a near steady cadre of awaited apps were launched on Windows Phone. The last time this happened was soon after Windows Phone 7.5 was launched with nearly 50 high profile apps being released over a span of weeks.

While we’re certainly not anticipating that many apps this time (Microsoft did just hit 130K apps) there are a few big titles that we’re still missing...

Within the last week, WhatsApp was updated no less than three times and Twitter was re-launched with a 2.0 update. Nokia was working closely with WhatsApp to improve the somewhat troubled messenger, which has suffered from stability issues in the past and we’re unsure about who was involved with the Twitter refresh.

So what are those Windows Phone 8 apps that aren’t in the Store? We can think of a couple possible candidates:

Pandora

Photosynth

Molome

Facebook (new version)

Viber

Skype (new version)

We could throw Instagram on that list, but at this point, we’re not confident at all in that prediction (even though it would be a huge win for the platform).

Photosynth was teased a few weeks ago as nearly complete for Windows Phone 8 and of course Pandora was announced back in October, making those two very likely candidates. Molome, an Instagram-like competitor, is also close to being released.

Have any other candidate apps that you think may be coming? Let us know in comments!

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Pandora FTW. And some games like subway surfers. I'm going to play devil's advocate and hope Instagram comes and it sucks, so people will stop crying about Instagram like it's slice bread. Reminds me of when Myspace came out. Smh.

Would love to see Amazon mp3, Hulu, Mint, an official Dropbox app (or one that allows downloads to phone like the Android I left), and Godville (guilty pleasure). Truth be told, I'd be perfect with the first one. Very impressed with the apps hitting my phone lately.

Path - most people I know already abandoned Facebook and Instagram for Path. It's very popular here (in Indonesia).
Instagram - I don't use it quite often and frankly don't quite care about it. But it is a very popular app. Many people considering buying a phone if it has Instagram in it. And having instagram for WP can only do good for Windows Phones (in terms of future sales).
Flipboard - I currently has Weave. But the experience of having Flipboard is unmatched by any Magazine-style reader IMO.

I am going to go against the trend and say I would love the following:
1) Skype baked into the OS rather than an App
2) More Office features on wp8
3) VPN
4) I don't know what flipboard, tumblr are but i hear they are popular. i hear this instagram is also popular.
5) Gameloft games
6) Xbox live games
7) More banking apps
8) More brokerage apps
9) pinterest lol just to round out things
10) Sports apps
11) Entertainment apps
12) More apps making it easier to read textbooks for people going to college
This is US only. I wish Bing gets updated so more of the world can use it and ditch Google. I also hope bing adds the ability to search by time frames.
12) A fully featured PDF reader/writer would be icing.

I hope its Instagram, I was in my local Verizon store getting a case for my 822 & WP lost 2 sales to all be it high school kids because the 1st thing they asked the sales rep was does it have Instagram? He said nope & they all moved on to the Iphone 4S..... The thing is they loved the white & Red Nokia 822 & that one missing app sealed its fate.

Too bad fb got its slimey tentacles all over ig, otherwise I'd jive with the heard sentiment, @ tbonenga, with u on last fm app, tunes shared by actual users, not generated by an algorithm like Pandora.

Wells Fargo and fidelity and I'm set. Other then that, love seeing updates to the apps I have. Oh realized that messaging on wp8 is awesome! I didnt know I could send so much stuff to a recipient. MS added location! I also didn't know much about wallet until the other day. I could set password on wpstore so no one can have access to buy stuff. Awesome!!! Now kids can't have access to wpstore without password. Thank MS.

It is plain and simple if Instagram comes to WP whether you like it or hate it don't use it or have no use for it, it will be a major coup and will drive all those Instagram fans to WP bit by bit which can only be a good thing for WP8 :)

What about full skype integration voip calls like Viber,Line and so on. Love win phone 8 but hate to wait for win 8 to catch up to IOS and Android on things that should have been around from the beginning.

1st... Fingers crossed for Instagram , because however You may think about it, It's a Definite WIN ........Plus I'm really hopping for the ( Facebook , Skype ) redesign or makeover,, with Including WP7.x in the update..........and last but not least ; bringing ( Cinemagraph ) to 7.x .

and now i understand why most smartphone users stick to iOs and Android, to sum it up design and hardware are not the selling point here rather the Apps? How would i enjoy the device if the apps are half baked? What my LTE/3G for? If my facebook app sucks, i dont have instagram, flipboard? Do i need those games? No i don't need them on my smartphone i can enjoy them on my iTouch alone..

Wtf, having Instagram proves you're emotional? If this is The case, the it must be very widespread for example in Italy and Spain.
BTW there us a difference between being emotional and having the need to show yourself to the world via tools and apps.

HSBC, BBC iPlayer, and Sky Go. Not very optimistic about 'iPlayer' (think the name gives a clue) and Sky Go. Both companies are in love with Apple and reluctantly releases Android apps due to the platforms huge market share.

I'm just hoping there are some goodies for Non-Americans and non-UK users too. Cause American banking apps won't help the Germans, same goes for other English-Speaking Country apps. Pandora, for example, which a lot of you are missing, is only available in the U. S., New Zealand and Australia, so while the release of a WP app might make some WP users happy, it won't help making windows phone a better buying option for the rest of the world.
IMHO, globally popular apps are much more important fou the platform.

WhatsApp really sucks on Windows Phone, WP8 included. Missing messages with hours of delay and usage of the AudioAgent for background capabilities is just so sloppy. And why is the app not using support for larger screens on WP8 devices?

Facebook buying Instagram is the best thing for WP short of MS buying them. MS and Facebook are very tight and I'm sure they are pushing them for a dedicated Instagram client.
MS owns stock in facebook, I've heard as high as 20%
MS wrote FB live chat system
MS wrote official FB app for WP
Facebook chose MS (Bing) for search features

If I had to guess I would say MS is going to write the Instagram client for FB and release it. It depends what is holding them back. If it is a technological issue of the platform then it will take longer. However with WP8 out they can do much more with the system. They may be intergrating the service like some of the other social media elements which would take a large OS update. Or there could be some transitioning going on where FB is not fully incharge yet. More then likely they want to get settled before making them help MS with a client.
Eitherway I personally think it is coming, it is just a matter of how long it will take.